


Second Spring, First Fall

by HuxandtheHound (TheIndifferentDroid)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alcohol, Halloween, Huxloween, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Modern AU, Mutual Pining, Neighbors, Sick Fic, meet cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-11-13
Packaged: 2019-07-23 16:35:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16162718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheIndifferentDroid/pseuds/HuxandtheHound
Summary: Nothing brings people together quite like the holidays. Well, maybe not Halloween... After a scare, Hux has to confront his neighbor. Lucky for him, Kylo might be a little sweeter than his tricks let on.





	1. Fall Decor

**Author's Note:**

> A series of fall- and Halloween-inspired short fics, based on the Huxloween prompts. The stories will follow the same modern AU, detailing Hux and Kylo's relationship as it progresses.
> 
> Tags will be updated as the fic continues.

It was, in Hux’s humble opinion, entirely too early for this bullshit.   
  
He had been having a particularly bad feeling all day. It was the first day of October, and already everyone he interacted with today seemed to be in a festive mood. It hadn’t helped that the cool weather had started to blow in over the weekend, which cemented everyone’s excitement. Hux wasn’t particularly fond of the cold; he hated it as much as he hated the heat, what with his heat intolerance and pale, sensitive skin.   
  
Somehow, winter was just a bit worse, and Hux was certain it had everything to do with it being associated with the thematic holidays he tried to ignore year after year.   
  
That being said, the gaudy mess of stringy cobwebs flanking the stairs to his second floor apartment were... not appreciated.   
  
As he ascended the metal stairs, his neighbor’s apartment slowly came into view. Well, as much as he could see of it beneath the hodgepodge of decorations. Decorations was a strong word. Trash, perhaps, was better suited to explain the continuous train of fake webbing and black plastic that lined his neighbor’s side of the building.   
  
The moment Hux took the final step onto the landing, a piercing, mechanical laugh echoed out of the darkness to his right. He jumped, his foot nearly slipping off of the slick surface, but he was able to grab the railing just in time, at the expense of his metal coffee mug that plummeted down the stairs.   
  
Yes. It was much, much too early for this bullshit.   
  
Hux hurried to unlock his apartment, closing the door behind him just as the laughing died down and ended with a screech of "Happy Halloween!" He put down his things -- minus his coffee mug, which he’d have to track down later -- and composed himself. He wasn’t scared, more so angry and frustrated at being caught off guard by a stupid Halloween decoration. He stood there, in his living room, until his heart rate slowed and his face cooled. He would need to go back out; he had to talk to his neighbor about this. There’s no way he would be able to endure that for another thirty days, and that’s if the man took them down in a timely manner.   
  
Hux had never spoken to his neighbor, but he had absolutely seen him. He was hard to miss, difficult to ignore, a large presence sulking around the property in a hooded sweatshirt, even in the summer months. Once, right after his neighbor had moved in, Hux nearly approached him. The man had been making it a habit of clunking up the stairs at odd hours. By the time Hux has worked up the nerve to even think about confronting him, he slept through the night, and hadn’t been bothered since. Hux still wasn’t sure if the man lightened his step or if he just grew used to the sound.   
  
But this needed an intervention, and he wouldn’t wait around to see if it was going to get worse.   
  
Hux opened the door carefully and waited a beat. When nothing happened, he stuck his arm -- and only his arm -- out the door, flailing it up and down to attempt to set off the clearly motion-activated decoration. Nothing happened. He gingerly stepped halfway onto the landing, still moving his arm and inching slowly closer to the other apartment until his entire body was outside. Suddenly, Hux’s door slammed behind him and he jumped, the movement setting off the screeching and laughing once more. He cursed under his breath, or perhaps a little louder, hurried across the landing to his neighbor’s door and knocked. He kept his eyes firmly on the numbers displayed on the door, not particularly interested in what other festive nonsense occupied the space with him.   
  
Then, the laughing ceased and in the heavy silence a lock clicked, the door swung open, and all the words Hux had prepared were swept from his mind seemingly by the draft of the opening door.  
  
They regarded other for a moment, Hux acting just as surprised as his neighbor even though he was the one that had knocked. The man was as tall as Hux expected, but broader, something Hux hadn’t accounted for by the way he had seen the man carry himself around the complex. His dark hair fell in waves around his face. Hux only became distracted from the man’s eyes by what appeared to be unseasonably early special effects makeup running across his face, but he wouldn’t comment on that. There were more pressing matters.   
  
"Oh. Armitage?"  
  
Hux was so entirely surprised by the sound of his first name, that he took a step back. He felt something tickle the back of his head and returned to his position closer to the door. "How do you know my name?"  
  
"I, uh -- I get your mail sometimes? And you seem like a busy man, so I just slip it back in your box. Figured you wouldn’t want to be bothered."  
  
Hux froze. He knew he was staring but he couldn’t decide what to say, which made him even more nervous because he honestly couldn’t remember the last time he was legitimately at a loss for words. The encounter had been derailed in dramatic fashion, and he needed to be in control again.  
  
“It’s Hux, actually. My name. You can call me Hux,” he blurted, then stuck out his hand in greeting to act like that was exactly what he’d mean to say.  
  
“Kylo.”  
  
As they shook hands, a chilly gust blew through the landing. The black plastic flapped loudly and any spider webs that weren’t securely fastened quickly became untangled. Hux should have known to expect it, but the ear-piercing laughter began again, and Hux jerked his hand out of Kylo’s grasp at the sound.  
  
“We need to talk,” Hux said sternly, loud enough to be heard above the contraption that he was seconds away from punting down the stairs.  
  
“You look like you need a drink, too.” Kylo chuckled. “Want to come in?”


	2. Sugar High

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hux has another run in with his neighbor. This time, it's Kylo who could use a little help, and Hux who could use a little patience.

It had been a hell of a work day for Hux. He had to stay an hour late at work—on a Friday, at that—to resolve some last minute issues on a project he had been tasked with heading. The half-hour, traffic-ridden commute home had just been the icing on the cake, and as he climbed the stairs to his apartment, Hux could think of nothing he wanted more than a stiff drink and his couch.

 

“Hey.”

 

Hux jumped, cursed and dropped his keys as he approached his apartment door. As he leaned down to pick them up, heavy footsteps pounded against the concrete landing and boots came into Hux’s periphery.

 

When Hux righted himself, he met those golden eyes he’d grown apprehensively fond of over a bottle of beer just last week. He hadn’t seen them since. 

 

Hux’s meeting with his neighbor had gone better than expected. Kylo was more than understanding about the decorations, though he stopped well short of agreeing to take them down completely. He simply turned off anything that was motion-activated and promised to let Hux know when he would turn them back on. So far he had kept up his his side of the deal. Apparently Hux should have specified that he that he didn’t like to be frightened by decorations  _ or _ people. 

 

But Kylo’s stance was open and casual, like he hadn’t meant to scare Hux. He was chewing something, but still trying to smile around it. A noise crinkled from Kylo’s hand and Hux darted his eyes downward to see Kylo stuffing a candy bar wrapper into his pocket. When Hux met his eyes again, they were a little wild.

 

That’s when Hux noticed it again. The scar running across Kylo’s face. The same exact one that had been there a week ago. Same placement, same seamless application. Hux had studied it closely over the beer last week, or as closely as he could without drawing too much attention to what he was doing. He had thought that it was quite impressive, almost life-like. Now he could kick himself. 

 

It wasn’t Halloween makeup. Kylo’s face was actually scarred.

 

“Can I help you?” Hux asked, attempting to distract himself.

 

Kylo’s brows furrowed deeply, and Hux quickly attempted to recover from his awkwardness. “I’m sorry—I’m not... used to—” Hux cleared his throat. “Uh, what are you doing?”

 

Kylo slipped another mini candy bar out of the pocket of his jacket, unwrapped it, and popped into his mouth. His words were a little muffled as the chocolate stuck to the roof of his mouth. “Got locked out of my car.” Kylo chewed more, chuckled a little. “And my apartment.”

 

“Oh, that’s unfortunate.”

 

Kylo hummed and pulled another piece of candy out of his pocket. “Want some?”

 

“I shouldn’t. I haven’t had dinner yet.”

 

“Neither have I. Well, nothing substantial anyway.”

 

Hux eyed him suspiciously. “How long have you been waiting?”

 

Kylo pocketed the candy—apparently resigned to the fact that Hux wasn’t going to accept it—and slipped his phone out of his jeans to look at the screen. “‘Bout two hours.”

 

Hux watched as Kylo put away his phone and pulled another piece of candy out of his jacket. 

 

“Hold on,” Hux said. He didn’t know Kylo well at all, but he felt suddenly like he should do something. It didn’t stop Kylo from popping the chocolate into his mouth anyway. “You’ve been out here eating candy for two hours?”

 

“‘S’all I had,” Kylo mumbled. “Went to the store to buy Halloween candy. Locked my keys in my car when I got back.”

 

Hux closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He shouldn’t. He really shouldn’t say anything. “Dear lord. You’re—”

 

The noise of crinkling paper stopped Hux mid sentence and his eyes shot open. Kylo was opening another piece of candy. 

 

“Kylo!”

 

“What?” he asked. There was a playful smile on his face, like he couldn’t contain it. He likely couldn’t with the amount of sugar in his system. He looked young this way, happy in a way Hux had never seen him. Not that he had seen him much at all. But this wasn’t the man that would walk around the parking lot with a hood over his head and hands stuffed in his pockets. 

 

The effect it had on Hux was stunning. 

 

“You’ve got to eat some real food. And you’ll text me next time something like this happens, alright?”

 

Kylo seemed to sober almost instantly. “Text you?”

 

“Yes,” Hux started simply. He knew what he was getting himself into, but he honesty couldn’t stop himself. “I’ll give you my number.”

 

Kylo’s eyes widened momentarily before he squinted at Hux. “Wait. ‘Next time?’ What makes you think I’ll do this again?”

 

Hux scoffed. “You honestly don’t think I believe this is the first time you’ve locked yourself out of your apartment.”

 

“Oh, fuck you.”

 

It was silent for a beat. Then another. Hux had a feeling he knew what his face looked like, jaw slack, brows pinched. Kylo looked worse, scared almost. 

 

“I beg your pardon,” Hux spat. 

 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—” Kylo began, stumbling over his words. “I’m a little, like, wound up right now. Because of the candy?”

 

Hux raised his eyebrows. 

 

“You’re right. I should probably… eat some actual food. I’ll, uh…,” Kylo began, stuffing his hands in his pockets, the candy wrappers shuffling noisily beneath his fingers. He turned to move towards the steps. “I’ll go walk to the corner store or something. See you.”

 

“Kylo, wait,” Hux said as plainly as he could, careful to drain his voice of any excitement. “I was going to order pizza. You can… you can have dinner here.”

 

Hux had absolutely no plans of ordering pizza, but something about Kylo sulking away made his brain short circuit. 

 

The look on Kylo’s face made Hux regret his decision. A sly smirk crept across Kylo’s lips—the lips which Hux was absolutely not looking at—as he walked back to Hux’s doorstep. 

 

“Just so you’re here when the locksmith arrives,” Hux justified weakly. 

 

“Right,” Kylo said sarcastically. He stood directly in front of Hux for a moment, staring at him with that stupid grin on his face. “You going to invite me in?”

 

Hux broke eye contact immediately, shaking his head and unlocking his door. “What are you, a vampire? Christ, Kylo.”

 

Hux opened the door and walked into his apartment. He saw his cat dart across the living room and down the hall, presumably because of the stranger in his home. But when Hux turned around, Kylo wasn’t in the apartment. He was just outside the threshold. 

 

“Are you going to invite me in?” 

 

Hux stared at him, torn between wanting to laugh and wanting to kick Kylo’s ass. 

 

“Hux, please.”

 

“Kylo. You aren’t—you can’t be serious.”

 

Kylo kept a straight face, eyes almost pleading, before he broke and stepped through the door. “Nah, I’m just fucking with you.”

 

Hux groaned as he looked up the number for the pizza joint. He was going to regret this. He was absolutely going to regret this. 


	3. Corn Maze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nearly three weeks after their first meeting, Kylo and Hux visit a corn maze. Bickering ensues. Oh, and it's not a date. It is absolutely not a date.

The temperature was quickly dropping as the sun sank towards the horizon, turning the sky pink and orange in its wake. Hux stood in the grassy field-turned-parking lot and watched the sunset as he waited for the others to arrive. His best friend Phasma had suggested—in the “spirit of the season,” as she had said—that they spend an evening at the new corn maze just outside of town. She had also suggested that Hux bring his “new boyfriend.” Hux had objected on both accounts— _ I do not like corn mazes and he is not my boyfriend! _ —but here he was, huddled for warmth and hiding from the brisk breeze behind his car. 

Truth is, Hux didn’t know what Kylo was. A neighbor, certainly. A friend? Hux wasn’t sure. He had never made friends the conventional way. Acquaintances had always been forced upon him. Never by his parents; they’d appreciated his single-mindedness in school. But always by some higher power he’d have no control over. His teachers in school. His commanders in the military. Kylo was different though. Hux actually wanted to talk to him, wanted to be around him, but no more than was absolutely necessary. At least that’s what he told himself.

Over the last week, as much as Kylo’s strange schedule would allow, they shared another round of beers, sitting on the steps of their landing. Kylo had also taken to bringing Hux his misdelivered mail instead of putting it in his box, which was only figured out after Hux stalked noisily up the stairs, cursing quite loudly at the  _ bloody incompetent United States Postal Service  _ for not having his package which his  _ bloody tracking information  _ said had been delivered. 

Hux shivered, though his face felt oddly warm, and he curled in on himself even more and stuck his hands in the pockets of his sweater. He had not anticipated it being this cold, and he was sorely underdressed. Kylo and Phasma were supposed to be here in five minutes, but he wasn’t sure he would make it that long. 

Hux was about to get back into his car when his phone vibrated in his pocket. 

_ Can’t make it. Something same up. Enjoy your date ;) _

Hux backed out of his messages, dialed Phasma’s phone number, and as just as the first ring sang in Hux’s ear, Kylo walked up. Hux lowered the phone immediately, pressing the end button perhaps more times than was absolutely necessary. 

“Hey.”

“One moment,” Hux told Kylo. 

_ You’re dead to me,  _ he texted to Phasma. 

“Well,” Hux huffed, pocketing his phone. “My friend cancelled. It’s just us.”

Hux pushed himself off the side of his car and began walking towards the entrance, where two oversized scarecrows flanked a ticket booth. Kylo’s footsteps crunched behind him in the half-dead grass and leaves. Hux took a few deep breaths, just trying to enjoy the fact that he was out of the house, not at work, and with Kylo. He would just have to deal with Phasma later.

“Two, please,” Hux told the attendant. 

“No, wait. I can get my own,” Kylo said, hurrying to Hux’s side and pulling out his wallet. 

“Put that away. It’s fine,” Hux said, shooing him away with a ten dollar bill before handing it to the high schooler seated behind the booth.

She took Hux’s money and handed him his change, giving them a knowing look. “Have fun!” she called after them. 

“Thanks for paying for my ticket,” Kylo said a minute later as they approached the maze. His voice was low, and Hux could barely hear him over the laughing and screaming around them.

“It was only four dollars.” Kylo stopped walking and Hux spun around to face him. “What?”

“I know it was only four dollars. But I can still thank you, right?”

“I suppose.”

Kylo glared at Hux. 

“I mean, you’re welcome,” Hux said. 

Kylo grinned and continued walking, Hux matching his pace. 

Hux had an unfortunate soft spot for Kylo’s smiles. The way they slowly cracked across his face. The way they pushed and pulled at the scar—that he’d grown used to by now—scrunching it near his nose and pushing it up his cheek. All this paled in comparison to how Kylo’s ridiculous lips looked even better when he smiled. Or pouted, which he had proven to do on almost every one of their meetings.

Hux, it appeared, had a soft spot for lots of things. 

“So your friend,” Kylo said, pulling Hux from his thoughts. “She cancelled, huh?”

“Yes, that’s what I said. Were you not listening?”

“No. I was listening.”

Hux stayed quiet, considering. They were approaching the maze entrance, and the crowd had begun to fill in slightly. 

“Or maybe you just… didn’t invite her?” Kylo asked, coming to a stop just outside of the flow of people.

“Why would I…” Hux questioned, trailing off when Kylo narrowed his eyes at him. 

“You sure this isn’t a date?”

Hux set his jaw, trying his best not to snap at Kylo. He knew he would only look guilty if he did. “This is absolutely not a date.”

“Alright. Fine,” Kylo said. He eyed Hux from head to toe, and the three seconds it took to do that felt like hours to Hux. “It’s not a date.”

Without warning, Kylo shoved his shoulder against Hux’s as he passed him and took off into the maze. 

“Try to keep up,” Kylo called before he disappeared behind the first row of corn. 

Though Hux did try, he couldn’t keep up with Kylo. The first path Hux chose was a dead end, and it was all downhill from there. His mind was built for strategy, even under stress. But apparently not the kind of stress elicited by someone like Kylo. He didn’t want to admit it, but Hux was flustered, and he couldn’t shake it. 

After the third dead end, Hux centered himself and noted his surroundings.The temperature had plummeted, and the sky was barely illuminated above him. He spotted a young boy suddenly, who he presumed was about five years old, who had darted around the corner. His bright red hair caught Hux’s attention first, as things like what always did. The boy’s father followed closely behind him, politely questioning his choice of direction and giving subtle hints, but essentially allowing the boy to lead the way. 

Hux kept a distance of about twenty feet but kept a close eye on them. The father seemed to have run the maze before, perhaps even more than once, and was doing a pretty decent job of convincing the child to take all the correct turns. Within a few minutes, Hux could tell they were edging closer to the exit by the level of the crowd noise he could hear.

They were approaching a fork in the road when Hux heard rustling behind him. He intended to ignore it and keep his eyes on his exit strategy, but the noise grew louder and faster and suddenly a hand was grasping his shoulder. Hux spun, cursed loudly and immediately slapped a hand over his mouth once he remembered where he was.

“Language,” Kylo chided. 

Kylo. Of course. 

Hux took a quick look around him, and, seeing no one, hissed, “Fuck you.”

Kylo laughed it off. “I’ve been trying to catch up with you, but you kept disappearing.”

“Yes, well…” Hux turned to look behind him. The father and son were out of sight; he’d have to improvise. “I’ve a great sense of direction.”

“Mind using that to get me out of here? This is actually kind of creepy.”

Hux huffed a laugh and turned to lead the way. “You’re not honestly scared.” He could keep up a light conversation, Hux imagined, as long as he was mostly focused on the maze. 

“Says the guy who just jumped a foot off the ground when I grabbed his shoulder.”

Hux stopped at the crossroads as if to confront Kylo. He stole a glance down each path first and found no sight of the navigators. He’d have to make do without them. “I’m wary of being grabbed. I’m not afraid of corn.” 

Hux took the path on the left and Kylo followed him. The maze wasn’t that narrow; it could have comfortably fit four or five people across its width. Kylo, however, chose to walk within inches of Hux, sometimes brushing against his shoulder or running into Hux’s elbow. As they continued through the maze, he never apologized for the contact or acted like it was an accident. It wasn’t helping Hux concentrate on the task at hand by any means. 

Kylo jabbed a sharp elbow into Hux’s side a few minutes later. “You sure you know where you’re going?”

“It’s a maze, Kylo,” Hux leveled. “No one is supposed to know. But I’m fairly certain we’re nearly there.”

“I’m going to need a drink after this.”

“You?” Hux exclaimed, voice a few octaves higher than he was frankly comfortable with. “You’re the one that abandoned me at the starting line. And you’re not exactly helping now, either, are you?”

“Fine, what do you want me to do?”

“Maybe start paying attention instead of staring at me, hm?”

Hux chanced a glance over his shoulder at Kylo. He had suddenly become very interested in the ground, and his hair fell forward to disguise his face. Hux decided to leave him be, mostly because he didn’t know how he felt about being right.

They walked in silence for a few more steps as they approached another fork in the path. Hux went left again, Kylo still hot on his heels, close enough that he ran into Hux when he startled from a kid running at them. The kid startled too, mumbling something of an apology, and took off running in the direction he came from. The exit was waiting for them just around the next corner.

“Nicely done,” Kylo said, just a touch of sarcasm in his voice.   


“No thanks to you,” Hux mumbled.

“Stay right here. I’ll be right back, okay?” Kylo said, beginning to walk away before Hux could even answer.

“Fine,” Hux dismissed. He backed up towards the side of the maze and took out his phone. Phasma had not replied to his text yet. Not that it surprised him. She knew better. She’d likely lie low for the rest of the weekend then bother him come Monday morning once she knew Hux would be itching to divulge the details of his not-date.

Hux began to wonder if he really was so clueless as everyone led him to believe. Had he not absolutely hated the holidays and everything associated with them, this might not have been such a bad place for a first date. Close quarters. Teamwork, or friendly competition, depending on how you wanted to approach the situation. A crisp fall evening that would perhaps be perfect for cuddling in the back of a hay ride, if one were so inclined.

Which Hux was not. At all.

Hux pocketed his phone, rolling his eyes at himself, and looked up to see Kylo sauntering up to him slowly, a steaming paper cup in each hand. 

“One of those better be for me,” Hux called to him before he’d even gotten within arms reach. 

“Of course,” Kylo said, handing one of the cups to Hux. “I had to make up for the price of the ticket.”

“Will you stop going on about the bloody ticket?” Hux snapped.

Kylo laughed, a loud, hearty thing that shook Hux as Kylo moved in next to him. If Kylo’s smile affected Hux, his laugh was ten times worse. 

Hux couldn’t help but chuckle a little himself. The display was a little over dramatic. But that seemed to be just like the Kylo he had begun to know. 

Hux shook his head. “Must you laugh at me?”

“Don’t make it so easy for me, then.”

Hux glared at him, but Kylo maintained the smirk on his face. He was approaching dangerous territory, but he knew it, welcomed it perhaps. 

Two could play at that game. 

“I don’t need to take this from you, you know,” Hux said matter of factly. “I just won’t hang out with you if you’re going to be like that.”

“No!” Kylo blurted, nearly spilling his drink. “No don’t do that.”

Hux blew on his cup of coffee to cool it, simultaneously looking decidedly indifferent about Kylo’s reaction. It was also a good way to hide the smile that was threatening to cross his lips. 

Kylo nodded his head towards the far end of the field. “Come on,” he said, blatantly ignoring Hux’s threat. “The food tent has some heaters. You look like you’re freezing.”

“Why do you care?” Hux asked, but the sharpness has gone out of his voice. He stuffed his free hand deeper into the pocket of his sweater and began to move with Kylo. “You’re not going to give me your jacket, are you?”

“Of course not,” Kylo said, gently brushing against Hux’s shoulder. “This isn’t a date.”

“Glad you’re finally catching on.”


	4. Shared Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo discloses some tough things about his past, and Hux finds out they have more in common than he might think.

“What are you afraid of?” Kylo asked. 

“Besides your stupid Halloween decorations?”

Kylo chuckled before falling silent, a decidedly more serious look overtaking his features. 

It was a random question, but Hux imagined Kylo had a good reason for it. 

They were sitting in Kylo’s living room—Hux in the overlarge recliner and Kylo on his couch. Hux had barely unlocked his front door when Kylo poked his head out of his own apartment, looking rather deliberate. He looked like he needed to talk, about what Hux wasn’t sure. So Hux obliged, only going into his own apartment long enough to put down his things and change out of his suit and into some jeans and a sweater that—purely by coincidence—happened to be the green one that fit like a glove and brought out his eyes.

They had talked about menial topics so far, polite, inconsequential things like work, or—when Kylo had control of the conversation—Halloween. So far it sounded like Kylo didn’t have any plans for Halloween night. Not that he talked about his own plans much; Kylo had been too busy asking about Hux’s to talk much of his own. 

But this was different. Hux nearly felt the mood shift as the silence grew thick right before Kylo took a heaving breath and sighed and asked that question.  _ What are you afraid of?  _ Hux understood the subtext, knew this wasn’t going to be a festive conversation. 

“I don’t suppose I’m afraid of much,” Hux began again. “Nothing tangible, anyway.”

Kylo repositioned himself on the couch, suddenly becoming more attentive. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I’m not afraid of anyone anymore. I know I can handle myself. The military took care of that. I do just have this underlying fear of…” Hux paused. “It’s hard to say, because I try not to think about it. But I think... I’m afraid of being alone.”

“You don’t have any family in the States, do you?”

Hux huffed a laugh. He hadn’t even thought of that. “I don’t have any family anywhere, actually.”

His words were loose and came much easier than they should have talking about something like this. He could usually blame the alcohol for allowing his inhibitions to disappear, but they’d been talking so much that Hux had barely finished the beer Kylo had given him when he showed up well over an hour ago. 

“I don’t have any family either,” Kylo answered. “Well, I do. But, uh, we had a falling out.”

Hux had so many questions he wanted to ask. All he knew about Kylo was his name, a few of his general likes and dislikes, what he did for a living. And Hux had heard enough stories about Kylo’s job as a chef downtown to last him a lifetime it seemed. Beyond that, he felt like he didn’t know anything about Kylo. What makes him tick. How he got the scar. Why he doesn’t have any family. Hux never asked. He never thought he had the right. He’s just a neighbor. 

“Is that what’s been bothering you?” Hux inquired, itching to ask a question but not the wrong one. 

Kylo set his jaw and narrowed his eyes at Hux, skeptical of the concern. 

“Kylo, don’t play coy. You’re very easy to read.”

Kylo leaned forward, bracing his arms against his thighs. He hung his head, hair falling down around it, appearing to center himself for a moment, as if he was holding back just for Hux. But now that Hux had admitted to seeing through it, he could let go.

He sat up after a few seconds and relaxed into the back of the couch, sighed, then spoke. “I usually like Halloween. Because, well…” Kylo paused and gestured to his face, to his scar. “Makes it easier, you know, to just exist out there.”

Hux raised his beer bottle to his lips to busy himself, but found it empty. He remained quiet, allowing Kylo to continue. 

“But the closer it gets to the end of the year, the more I realize I don’t have anyone. So the moment November hits, I get really down on myself. I guess it’s just starting to creep up earlier.”

Hux hummed. He wasn’t sure how to approach this. He knew how he could act with Phasma, but she had tougher skin than even Hux. “You have friends though?”

“Not—not since my accident.”

“When was that?”

Kylo bit his lip. “Four years ago.”

A strange silence fell between them, Kylo afraid to say too much, Hux afraid to say anything at all. However, it struck Hux how it was more of an understanding silence and less of an uncomfortable one.

“You can ask, if you want,” Kylo began. He wasn’t looking at Hux and had begun to peel the label off his beer bottle. 

“It’s none of my business.”

“You want to know though, don’t you?”

“I want to know more about you, Kylo. It doesn’t have to be about that. But if you want to tell me, I’ll listen.”

Kylo looked up at Hux then from across the living room. Hux could see the wheels turning behind Kylo’s eyes, assessing the situation, deciding if Hux was worthy of learning about all the little hidden pieces of himself. 

Kylo nodded, more to himself than Hux. 

“I, uh, pissed off my parents pretty good when I was in my freshman year of college. Got tangled up with the wrong people.” Kylo paused. Hux wanted so badly to get up and sit next to Kylo on the couch, hold his hand, tell him he didn’t have to continue. But Kylo cleared his throat and began again. “Yeah. So. Anyway. They sent me to live with my uncle. They cut me off, so I had to drop out of school and work on his fucking farm. I hated it. God, I hated it so much.”

Kylo’s arm shot out to grab a pillow from the sofa. He hugged it into his chest, his knuckles turning white from grasping it so tightly. He took a few deep breaths and loosened his grip. 

“Sorry,” he mumbled. 

“It’s alright,” Hux replied. 

Kylo’s eyes closed for a moment as he took a few deep breaths. He set the pillow down on his lap and began fiddling with the corner of it distractedly. “So, of course I acted out again. What the fuck else was I supposed to do? There was this bar, not too farm from my uncle’s place, and I just started hanging out there every night. It was shady. They never carded me. Kept that up for about a year. And then one night I guess I pissed someone off. I honestly don’t even remember what happened. I had my fists, but the other guy had a knife. And, well…”

Hux felt drained. He wasn’t breathing, at least not consistently, holding his breath and hanging on every one of Kylo’s words as if the scene were actually playing out in front of him at that very moment. 

“Fucker settled out of court thankfully,” Kylo continued. “Got all my medical bills paid for and some extra for pain and suffering.” Kylo laughed, then. The sound was soulless and flat and hit Hux in his gut. “Took the money, got my own place.”

Kylo’s tone was finalizing. He splayed his hands out, as if to say  _ and here we are _ , but there was a resigned look on his face. 

“Kylo,” Hux said finally. His throat was scratchy, the sound barely audible. “I’m so sorry.”

“I’m okay with it now, I think?” Kylo replied. “I just haven’t talked about it in a while, and that never really gets easier.”

Hux hummed understandably. “And your family. They still won’t talk to you, even after all that?”

“Oh. I kind of went off the grid after the whole thing. Changed my name. They, uh… they don’t know where I am.”

Hux bit his tongue to keep from reacting too severely. He wanted to reprimand Kylo, but it wasn’t his place, he knew that much. Kylo was confiding in him—was confiding in someone—for the first time in who knows how long. While Hux had been completely willing to give up his own family, Kylo sounded like he may have had something worth keeping. And to hide from them so blatantly affected Hux in such a strange way. It very nearly broke his heart. 

“You just needed some time to yourself,” Hux decided to say. 

“Yeah, I guess. But now I think… I think I’m afraid of being alone, too.”

For one final time, Hux refrained from going to Kylo no matter how much his mind pleaded with him to reach out. 

“I suppose we’re afraid of the same thing,” Hux mused. He tried to ignore how fitting it was, two lonely souls happening upon each other as they had done. He tried not to read too much into it. “Does that make you feel better?”

“Yeah, actually,” Kylo said, nodding gently. “It does.”

“Good.” Hux smiled fondly at Kylo and got a weak grin in return. “I’ll tell you about my lovely family, now, if you like. It’s only fair,” Hux said. “But I’ll need another beer.”


	5. Fall Bakery Sweets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hux's morning routine is thrown for a loop when he wakes up late and his neighbor intercepts him on his way out the door. But he can make an exception for Kylo, especially if he looks like that.

Hux tugged his scarf around his neck and grabbed his briefcase before stepping out into the chilly air. It was overcast and gray and bitterly cold for October. But it was Friday, and that was about all he had going for him. He couldn’t shake the feeling like he was forgetting something. He had overslept—something that frazzled him to his core—mostly because he was still trying to catch up on sleep from a few nights ago. He had stayed at Kylo’s much too late, talking about their lives and fears and other incredibly personal things. Hux actually  didn’t regret it; it had been a surprisingly deep conversation, and he felt much closer to Kylo for it. But he hated that he was still paying for it a few days later. He appreciated this newness in his life, but he couldn’t have Kylo completely upending his normalcy. 

After locking his apartment door, Hux hurried down the metal stairs, taking them two at a time, his heavy coat billowing behind him. He wasn’t late yet—he always allowed himself an extra thirty minutes at work before the day really began anyway—but he couldn’t lollygag. 

When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he paused. He could have sworn he heard his name, just barely, over the clanging of his feet against the stairs. He glanced around. There was hardly anyone out and about at this hour. 

He heard it again, more clearly this time without the other noise to drown it out. His name, a loud whisper. 

He looked up the stairs and nearly dropped his coffee. 

Kylo was standing on the landing trying to maintain his modesty behind one of the Halloween decorations on his porch. But Kylo was a large man and the decorations were not enough to shield him from view, and a Hux could see most of Kylo’s torso, naked and chiseled. 

“Kylo?”

“I know you’re going to work. But I, uh. I have something for you.”

Hux eyed him suspiciously. “I’m actually running a little late—”

“Please, Hux?” Kylo raised one of arms into view to show off a brown paper box he was holding. “Seriously just a second. I’d come down, but…”

Hux groaned audibly, loud enough to reach Kylo’s ears. He really was running behind now, but if it meant he got to see Kylo half-dressed, then maybe he could spare a minute.  

He trudged back up the stairs, keeping his eyes on his feet the entire time. He didn’t need to trip. He really didn’t need to stare at Kylo. 

Except that’s exactly what he did when he reached the landing. 

Kylo looked like he was sculpted from marble, from the smooth planes of his chest littered with moles that matched the ones on his face, to the peaks and valleys of his abs. His arms were solid and so much more impressive now that Hux could see them ease into his shoulders instead of disappearing into shirt sleeves. Hux forced himself to keep his eyes above the box Kylo was holding, but his periphery confirmed Kylo was wearing nothing but boxers. 

“You’re going to catch a cold like this, you know.”

“I just wanted to give you this,” Kylo said. His voice sounded much more gruff up close, like he had just woken up. Now that Hux was looking at his face, it appeared he had just rolled out of bed. His usually smooth hair was a little unkempt and there were indentations on one side of his face where his pillow had been only a minute or two ago. 

“Did you—did you just wake up?” Hux asked, not eloquently, as he took the box.

“How can you tell?” Kylo asked, and Hux shot him a look before peeking into the box. “We had some extras, so I brought them home from work last night. Wanted to make sure you got them this morning. In case you hadn’t eaten yet. But you probably have. I’m sorry. This is stupid.”

Hux didn’t even have the words to cut Kylo off to keep him from rambling. He couldn’t even take his eyes off the delectable sweet rolls stuffed perfectly into the box to stare at Kylo who was looking just as edible. 

“They’re spiced pecan or something autumnal like that. If you don’t want them I can—”

“No. No, I do. I want them,” Hux said, closing the box and finally looking at Kylo again. He crossed his arms and Hux could see goosebumps dotting his skin. “Did you make them?”

“Fuck no. I’m a chef, not a baker,” Kylo said, laughing at himself. “But they’re good, I promise. I’d trust Poe with my wedding cake.”

Hux raised his eyebrows playfully. 

“I’m sorry. I’m rambling. I do that when I’m tired. I should go back to bed. I got home, like, four hours ago.”

“Christ, Kylo. You didn’t have to wake up just for me.”

“Well, I wanted to.”

Hux felt his face flush and wanted so badly to blame it on the cold wind whipping across his face. But he had to admit it eventually. Kylo did this to him. Kylo always managed to do this. 

“Thank you.”

Kylo yawned a  _ you’re welcome _ in response, blinked hard a few times and ran his hand through his knotty hair. 

“Go to bed, Kylo.”

“Alright. Have a good day.”

They shared bashful smiles and Hux turned to head back downstairs. 

“Hey, Hux,” Kylo called after him. 

Hux stopped mid step and turned willinging knowing he’d get one last glance at Kylo. 

“I like your hair like that. Looks good.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Soft?” Kylo said, smirking as he retreated back into his apartment. 

Hux checked his hair in the visor mirror when he got to his car. Apparently he  _ had _ forgotten something. He hair was ungelled and, exactly as Kylo had described, soft. 

He took a deep breath, trying to focus on his interaction with Kylo. He wouldn’t let his hair derail his day. He’d seen Kylo without a shirt on for goodness sake. He smiled at himself in the mirror, trying his best to ignore the flush that remained on his cheeks. 

Soon enough, Hux’s car was engulfed in the smell of the sweet rolls on his way to work, his mouth watering and his heart fluttering as a result. 

And if he was five minutes late to work because he ate one of the rolls in his car, well, no one needed to know. 


	6. First Halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hux is prepared to spend Halloween night sick and alone. Kylo, of course, decides that's unacceptable, and he's got a cure for at least one of Hux's problems.

Hux usually didn’t get sick in October, but the weather had been so unseasonably cold the last few days he supposed his body decided it was winter already. And of course the weather had turned out beautifully for Halloween, a perfect autumn evening, which meant all the little terrors would be out in droves. 

He walked back to his couch with his fresh cup of tea and settled back into the nest he had made for himself. If he was going to be unwell, he was at least going to be comfortable. Hux had stripped out of his suit the moment he got home early from work, trading it for his favorite oversized sweater, yoga pants and the softest socks he owned.

A chilling laugh came from the landing outside. Kylo’s damned decorations. Kylo had texted Hux earlier in the day to warn him he would be turning them back on after a month of them sitting there quietly. It didn’t matter; Hux wouldn’t be leaving the house like this anyway. Although he’d forgotten how terrible the sound was. It was going to be a long night.

Kids began shrieking and laughing outside and Hux groaned. Even though he didn’t have his porch light on, had not a single decoration adorning his door, the trick-or-treaters were still going to knock on his door. He didn’t know how long it would take, but it was an inevitability.

The door slammed shut next door and happy footsteps descended the stairs noisily. Hux sipped his tea and turned up the television to drown out any evidence of the outside activity. He was quite enjoying the _Planet_ _Earth_ marathon he had stumbled across. It had been keeping him fairly entertained since he got home three hours earlier, though his ability to retain anything he watched was diminishing rapidly as the cold medicine took effect. 

He was nodding off a few minutes later, with his tea cup precariously leaning in his hand, when he jolted awake, heart beating out of his chest, startled by the stupid laughing decoration. Hux blinked a few times, waiting impatiently for the noise to stop. He leaned forward to place his mug of tea on the table and froze midway.

There was a knock at the door. 

He knew it. Hux knew he should have turned off the lights off inside too. Greedy children. 

Hux remained unmoving, hoping to hide the fact that he was inside, but there was another knock. 

“Go away,” Hux called loudly against his better judgment. His decision making skills were lacking due to the fog in his head. He cleared his throat to add a little strength to his waning voice, and yelled again, “I don’t have any candy.”

“I know,” a deep voice called through the door. “That’s why I’m bringing you some.”

Hux cursed under his breath and pulled the blanket more tightly around his shoulders, as if he could hide himself. He was in no shape for company, especially Kylo. He knew he shouldn’t have responded to the knocking.

“Hux?”

“One moment,” he called. 

Hux stood on uneasy legs while he untangled himself from the blankets. He made an attempt to fold them but gave up the effort quickly, throwing them back on the couch. He crossed the living room to take a look in the mirror before heading to the door. His eyes were dark and sullen, much more than usual, and there was a feverish glow to his cheeks that was equal parts flattering and ghastly. He ran his hands through his hair, his fingers catching a little in the gel that still remained. When he remembered what Kylo said a few days ago— _ I like your hair like that _ —he ruffled it up again, letting a few strands fall into his face. 

With his hand on the doorknob, Hux looked down at himself once more and sighed. His outfit was a far cry from anything Kylo had seen him in. He hoped he wouldn’t regret this. 

“Hux?” Kylo called again. 

This time, Hux opened the door immediately at the sound of his name.

“Oh,” Kylo said. He stood there with a bag of candy in his hand, unmoving. There was something dark about his eyes, Hux thought, but he couldn’t figure out why, or decipher the way Kylo was looking a him.

Hux cleared his throat, and his voice didn’t come easily. “Yes, thank you, I’m aware I look like shit.”

“No,” Kylo quickly countered. “You don’t, actually. I just wasn’t expecting to see you... like that.”

Hux crossed his arms over his chest in an attempt to appear a little more put together than he actually was, to maintain at least some air of competence. “And what exactly do I look like?” he asked, challenging. 

“I don’t know,” Kylo mumbled. He ran a hand through his hair—which appeared to be particularly soft and wavy—and looked around the porch, anywhere but at Hux. “You just look cute, alright? Forget I said anything.”

Hux felt the heat rise in his cheeks, and, on top of his already fevered state, the sensation was nearly sickening. 

Kylo began again before Hux could respond. “You don’t have any plans tonight?”

Centering himself, Hux cleared his throat again. “I do not. And even if I did, I wouldn’t be going anywhere. I’m sick.”

“You can’t spend Halloween all by yourself,” Kylo said.

Hux huffed a small laugh, and something in his throat squeaked pitifully. “Hasn’t stopped me before.”

Kylo looked at Hux under furrowed brows, but he had that far away look in his eyes and that slight upturn of one side of his mouth that said he was deep in thought. If Hux were a little more himself, it might have bothered him how much he was learning about Kylo. 

“Are you going to come in?” Hux asked to break the silence. “It’s freezing out.”

“Actually, I’ll, uh… I’ll be right back,” Kylo said, taking a large step away from the door before leaning back quickly and handing Hux the bag of candy. “Here. Take this. I’ll be right back.”

Kylo was gone in a blur, triggering the shrieking decoration on his porch. Hux barely heard Kylo let out a string of curses over the noise before he closed the door. 

Hux tossed the bag of candy on his coffee table before reclining back into the couch and sloppily throwing the blankets back onto himself. He didn’t quite know what he was thinking doing anything except telling Kylo to get lost, but there was an oddly comforting feeling in Hux’s chest that he decided he would be stupid to question. 

A few minutes later, the soothing voice of the narrator on the television was interrupted by three solid  _ thunks _ on Hux’s door. He called to Kylo that the door was unlocked, but the noises persisted. Hux grudgingly uncovered himself once more and opened the door to see Kylo with an armful of things. He barged through the open door almost immediately, hurrying towards Hux’s dining room table and letting the contents down gently. 

Hux didn’t have the energy to argue, otherwise he would, so he only asked, “Care to explain?”

Kylo puffed up a little at that, proud to detail his plan. “Since you can’t go out, the party is coming to you,” he said and ignored the way Hux rolled his eyes. He pointed to the various items as he continued. “I grabbed some of my movies. The beer is for me. The Powerade is for you. And this,” Kylo said, grabbing the large and apparently heavy Tupperware container, “is the best chili I’ve ever made. And our dinner.”

“I don’t need you to make dinner for me,” Hux blurted.

“Don’t get your panties in a bunch. I make this every year. It just needs to be warmed up.”

Hux responded with another over dramatic roll of his eyes and began to move towards the kitchen before two solid and much too warm hands landed on his shoulders. 

“Oh, no. You’re not helping. You need to rest,” Kylo said, turning Hux around. 

“It’s my kitchen,” Hux snapped as he attempted to escape Kylo’s grip. 

“Fine. Do you want to come to my place then?” Kylo asked. His voice was close behind Hux, and it nearly made him shiver. 

“Absolutely not,” Hux replied, finally turning around to face Kylo. 

“That’s what I thought. Sit. I’ve got this.”

Hux grudgingly did as he was told and idly picked through the DVDs on the table as Kylo rummaged around his kitchen. “So, what plans did you cancel to hang out with your boring, old neighbor?” Hux asked. 

Kylo let the question hang in the air as he opened and closed cabinet after cabinet. Hux enjoyed watching Kylo get flustered so easily, especially due to his own stubbornness. Still, he fought the urge to call out directions.

“First of all, you are neither boring nor old,” Kylo said, finally finding a pot and placing it on the stovetop with a resounding, metallic clang. “And I didn’t have any plans.”

“Really, now?” Hux asked. He waited a beat for Kylo to turn around and acknowledge him, but continued when he understood him to be too preoccupied. “Then why are you wearing eyeliner?”

“Fuck,” Kylo hissed. He dropped the spoon he had just found, immediately raised his hands to his eyes, and began rubbing away at them. “I forgot I started to put my costume on when the first trick-or-treaters showed up.”

“So you were going somewhere,” Hux said with a haughty air of smugness. 

Kylo groaned, still rubbing his eyes. “Just to some lame thing with some people from work. Then I remembered you said you didn’t have any plans, so I came to check on you.” Kylo lowered his hands and looked at Hux, blinking a few times to clear his vision. “Better?” he asked.

Hux bit his cheek to contain his laughter, but Kylo must have noticed the way his lips began to twitch. He ran off to the bathroom down the hall with Hux close behind him. 

Hux caught Kylo’s gaze in the mirror for a split second before Kylo looked down and turned on the faucet. The black eyeliner had smudged everywhere he had touched, and there were marks not only on his eyes but across his nose as well, across his scar. Kylo splashed handfuls of water over his face, pausing to wipe at his eyes every few seconds. The effort was futile, though, and he became more frustrated with every glance into the mirror. 

“Fuck it,” he spat and shut off the water. “I’ll just leave it.”

With Hux still behind him, Kylo patted the counter for a towel, but Hux snatched it up before he could reach it. 

“I quite like your eyes. I’d prefer to see them,” Hux said. Kylo glanced up at him in the mirror and Hux looked him right in the eyes, fighting every impulse to look away. “Let me help.”

Kylo didn’t look away either. He took a heaving breath—the same one, Hux realized, that he’d used to calm himself down just the other night—and nodded so slightly Hux almost missed it. He wiped his hand over his face one last time to get rid of the excess water and turned to face Hux. 

“Sit,” he ordered Kylo, much as he has been ordered earlier in the kitchen, and Kylo obliged. 

Hux worked in silence, turning on the warm water and grabbing a dark towel from under the sink. He could nearly feel Kylo’s gaze on him as he wet the towel and lathered a small bit of soap onto it. His suspicions were confirmed when he turned to face Kylo and his gold eyes were trained on him appraisingly. 

Removing the makeup proved tricky. Hux used soft strokes of the cloth, especially around Kylo’s scar, afraid to do something wrong. It was unknown territory for him, this strangely intimate interaction, and the last thing he wanted to do was screw something up as he was wont to do. 

“You don’t have to be gentle,” Kylo said after a few minutes. He kept his voice low but it still seemed to echo through the small bathroom. “It doesn’t hurt anymore. It’s just a scar.”

Hux hummed an acknowledgement but continued on in the same fashion. 

“So, what did the rest of your costume look like?” Hux asked, feeling comfortable after Kylo had broken the much too awkward silence that fell between them.

“It was stupid.”

“Too bad. You have to tell me now. It’s your penance for lying to me.”

Kylo’s eyes shot open to glare at Hux.

“Don’t look at me like that. Close your eyes,” Hux chided, though with his voice disappearing and his throat as sore as it was, the admonishment didn’t hold much weight.

He continued his work once Kylo closed his eyes again. He was nearly done, but he moved slowly, taking his time to study Kylo’s features. The slope of his nose, his strong brows, all the marks that littered his fair skin. 

“Go on,” Hux said to distract himself. 

Kylo sighed. “Me and a few other guys were dressing up as members of The Knights.”

“That awful eighties punk band?” Hux asked around a wheezy laugh. 

“It wasn’t my idea, alright?” Kylo snapped. His cheeks began to turn a rosy shade, the color coming in and out of view as Hux slid the towel across his face. 

Hux took a step back to admire his work. Kylo looked good like this, fresh-faced, skin glowing with warmth. 

When Kylo opened his eyes, he met Hux’s immediately. Hux’s knee-jerk reaction was to defend himself verbally. “Not much of a costume for you, though, is it?”

“Oh, shut up,” Kylo groaned. He stood up then, crowding into Hux’s space when he didn’t move out of the way. 

Hux felt flush again, like he was suddenly too warm in his too cozy clothes. His hands felt clammy from the warm towel, his face was glowing with heat. And a Kylo’s smothering glare was near torture on top of it all. 

Suddenly, a rumbling noise cut through the silence and Hux tried not to melt with embarrassment as Kylo’s eyes turned from intense to entertained, the corners crinkling as he smiled. 

“Knew you were hungry,” Kylo said, and as he began to move around Hux to exit the bathroom, he poked one finger gently into Hux’s belly. “Let’s get you some dinner, huh?”

  
  


An hour later, Hux was full of warm chili, crackers, his allotted Powerade and exactly one sip of Kylo’s beer that he stole when Kylo wasn’t looking. He had regretted that immediately, almost failing to hide the face he made when he tasted the disgustingly spiced concoction. He hated to imagine how much worse it would have tasted had his senses been working at full capacity. 

Kylo got up from the couch and grabbed both of their bowls from the TV trays and headed towards the kitchen. 

“Just leave it all in the sink,” Hux called to him, pausing to cough a few times from raising his voice. “I’ll get it later.”

“Don’t worry about what I’m doing. Watch the damn movie.”

Hux groaned. Kylo had been overly attentive since he arrived, and Hux had tried his best to fight it off, albeit half-heartedly. It was nice, Hux thought, as he snuggled back into the couch and pulled the blankets around him, to be taken care of for once, to not be the only person concerned for his own well being. He wasn’t sure what this thing with Kylo was—if there was even anything there to define—but, regardless, it was heartening, and he’d welcome it for as long as he could. 

Perhaps it was his new found comfort in Kylo or the shush of the water in the kitchen sink or maybe the trance-like voices singing on the television, but Hux drifted off to sleep, his mind going blissfully blank. 

The credits were rolling on the movie when Hux squinted awake, the uplifting instrumentals acting like a strange alarm clock. His living room was dark, only dimly lit by a lamp on the side table and the glow of the television. He was warm and suspiciously comfortable and really wasn’t sure why he was awake if that was the case. Until he felt something brush against his head, the sensation oddly familiar in a way, as if he’d experienced it before. 

Hux allowed his eyes to close again, nearly falling back asleep to the rhythmic feel. 

Then, someone whispered his name. He only hummed in response. 

The movement against his head became slightly more deliberate now, less cautious. And that’s when it hit him. 

His head was on Kylo’s shoulder, and Kylo’s fingers were carding through his hair. 

“Hux,” he whispered again. “I know you’re awake.”

Hux attempted to play the whole thing off as casually as possible. He stirred slowly, feigning lingering unconsciousness, though to be perfectly honest, he didn’t really feel like he could move much faster. He lifted his head slightly from Kylo’s shoulder, overly aware of the close proximity and the tickle of Kylo’s hair against his cheek and the scent of Kylo’s cologne overwhelming his senses. 

“Oh,” Hux said, though the word barely escaped his lips. He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry.” 

Kylo chuckled, the noise deep and rumbling in his chest. Hux could feel it this close, and he had to take a moment to himself before he sat up completely. He adjusted the blanket around his body in an effort to separate himself from Kylo, both physically and mentally. It meant nothing. This meant nothing, falling asleep on his neighbor’s shoulder. It was just a happy accident for him, a minor inconvenience for Kylo, and it wouldn’t happen again.

“Hux?”

He hummed and blinked a few times and looked up to see Kylo looking at him, quite intently. There was a little color dusting Kylo’s cheeks and his nose and the one ear Hux could see where his hair was tucked behind it. 

“I’m sorry. Did you say something?” Hux asked.

Kylo huffed, though no frustration showed on his face, just amusement and maybe a little something else. “I did. You alright?” he asked, and before Hux could answer, Kylo’s hand was moving towards him. Gently, Kylo pushed a few strands of hair out of Hux’s face and placed a cool hand on his forehead. “You’re a little warm. You should take your medicine and get to bed. I’ll go.”

Hux brushed him away with a wave of his hand. “I’ll be fine. What did you say?”

“You apologized for falling asleep on me,” Kylo answered and folded his arms across his chest as if willing himself to keep his hands in place. “I just said it was alright. And that I, uh, didn’t mind it.”

“Is that so?”

“It was kind of cute, actually,” Kylo said. 

“I’m either having a terribly good fever dream,” Hux began cautiously, “or that’s the second time tonight you’ve called me cute.”

Kylo smirked. “You’ve definitely got a fever, but that’s not the only reason you’re hot.”

It hurt Hux to roll his eyes as hard as he did at Kylo’s line, and he couldn’t even formulate the words he wanted to tell him how absolutely stupid he sounded. He was too distracted by how deep Kylo’s voice had become and the way he was staring at Hux, like he could devour him at any moment, and Hux only imagined that he must have looked the same way.

Kylo grabbed the blanket on either side of Hux’s shoulders and tugged Hux towards him. There was the slightest pause, one infinitesimal yet fleeting moment when their eyes met and intent blazed like fire, before Kylo tightened his grip and leaned in. 

Hux wished he could taste—wished he could  _ breathe _ —but he thankfully still had all the sensation in his lips, and Kylo’s felt heavenly against his own, exactly how he had imagined they would in all those moments where he caught himself wishing for things he thought he couldn’t have. Kylo’s lips parted the slightest bit and Hux took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, even though he couldn’t move much closer otherwise. His body was still in a stasis and trapped by the blanket, but his mind was very much alert now, and he wanted nothing more than to get his hands on Kylo now that he knew he could. 

A small grunt escaped Hux’s mouth as he wriggled his arms and tried to escape the blanket. Kylo backed off immediately, taking his hands away from Hux and nearly scooting off the couch.

“I’m so sorry,” he murmured. 

Hux paused for a moment, trying to calm his heart rate and catch his breath, and he just managed to slip his hand from under the blanket in enough time to grab Kylo’s wrist before he took off. “Don’t apologize.”

Kylo look beyond flustered, with worry in his eyes and blush splotching his cheeks, and Hux reached out to him to brush his hair back from his face, hoping the gesture would calm him. 

“I couldn’t bloody breathe, Kylo,” Hux explained with a huff of laughter.

Realization dawned on Kylo’s face, accompanied by the slyest smirk Hux had ever seen grace his features, and he leaned in once more towards Hux, only to be stopped by a fevered hand covering his mouth.

“You’re going to get sick, too, if you keep that up,” Hux rasped.

Kylo made a noncommittal sound from beneath Hux’s hand, shrugged one of his shoulders, and grabbed Hux’s wrist. He rubbed his thumb gently along Hux’s forearm, and if Hux weren’t already freezing, he would have gotten goosebumps form that sensation alone. “I’ll live,” Kylo said and leaned in to steal a peck from Hux before standing up.  “I think I might be able to convince my cute neighbor to take care of me.”

Hux stood and followed him to the door. “Oh, you won’t want that,” he said. “He’s a terrible cook.” That earned a chuckle from Kylo. Hux unlocked and opened the door and moved aside to let Kylo step outside. As he slid past him, Hux said, “Good thing his boyfriend is a chef.”

Kylo spun around so quickly he nearly lost his balance, steadying himself on the doorframe casually. “Boyfriend?” 

“Well, yes. Do you think I just hook up with all my neighbors?”

“I don’t know,” Kylo drawled. “I don’t know how freaky you are. Yet.”

“Christ,” Hux mumbled, but his voice was soft and the smallest smile played at his lips. “Goodnight, Kylo.”

Kylo took a step forward, placed a hand on Hux’s shoulder, and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. “I don’t have to leave, you know. I can stay and take care of you. Or tuck you into bed—“

“Goodnight, Kylo,” Hux repeated and pulled away to reach for the door. 

Kylo mumbled a good night as he walked away, and Hux watched him as he disappeared, hands stuffed shyly in his pockets and that persistent rosiness in his face. Hux wasn’t sure what he was getting himself into, but he supposed Halloween, of all days, was a good day to take a risk, to do something that scared him. And it did scare him, this newness he felt, that tickle in his chest and the foreign warmth in his heart. But Hux decided that not following his gut and seeing it through might be more of a risk. Maybe fall could be a time for new beginnings as well. It was a second spring, after all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I've had fun with this one. Hope y'all enjoyed it!

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on tumblr ([huxandthehound](https://huxandthehound.tumblr.com/))


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